Unencumbered access to playground ladders by toddlers can result in tragic accidents especially when adults are not present to supervise play on ladders. Although in the majority of instances there is no accident, when a fall by a toddler from ladder does occur it can result in serious injuries that require medical attention. Additionally, adults or other persons could injure themselves rushing to reach a child who has climbed on to a ladder.
The above problems occur in a variety of settings including homes, schools or municipal parks. It is therefore desirable to secure play structure ladders from being climbed on when a school play area is not in use or supervised. Currently there is no cost effective solution other than removing the ladder should a school wish to pursue this option.
It is desirable to prevent unsupervised ladder climbing on play structures by children not capable of safely climbing on the ladders.